A FATHER has spoken of his delight now his wife and baby are back home, after a life threatening emergency during pregnancy.Derek Moore is thrilled to have Mary and nine week old baby Nadine back at their home in Gislingham, near Eye.

A FATHER has spoken of his delight now his wife and baby are back home, after a life threatening emergency during pregnancy.

Derek Moore is thrilled to have Mary and nine week old baby Nadine back at their home in Gislingham, near Eye.

The family, which includes three-year-old Adam, are all smiles as mother and baby are now fine, but it could have been so different.

Mrs Moore developed HellpSyndrome, one of the most serious complications of pre-eclampsia in which there is a combined liver and blood clotting disorder, and her husband feared she may not live.

Mrs Moore was taken in for a caesarean at Ipswich Hospital to save her life, and baby Nadine was delivered at ten weeks early on January 25 weighing 2 lb 7oz.

Mr Moore, 42, is a manager at Ince's traditional clothing shop in Stowmarket where he has worked for 25 years.

He said: “Mary went in to intensive care, her blood level went down to virtually nothing, it was quite serious. It was scary at the time, Mary went off for her caesarean and I was not allowed to go.

“Before they took her down, it was touch and go for her life and she could have been very ill afterwards. But she was not as ill as they thought she would be, and we are fine now.''

Tiny Nadine was put on a ventilator to help her breathe and her mother was in intensive care for a day, and later spent ten days recovering on another ward.

Mrs Moore needed two blood transfusions and a platelet transfusion and Nadine spent eight weeks at Ipswich Hospital, and a week at Norwich Hospital. She now weighs 5lb 4oz.

She said: “Getting Nadine home this week was so nice, getting her settled in after all that has happened. We are so happy.”

Once out of hospital Mrs Moore would travel 48 miles every day to be at her baby's side.

Hellp syndrome occurs in approximately ten per cent of pregnant women with pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. It may occur long before a pregnancy reaches term, or even after delivery.

The symptoms of Hellp Syndrome are progressive nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and a headache. The only treatment is delivery of the infant, which is essential because the liver rapidly deteriorates.

Haemorrhage may occur within the mother's liver and permanent liver damage can happen if delivery is delayed.